Shade: Followed!
by Ludo Kudo
Summary: Mysteriously leaving the masque after a surprising victory, enemies wait from ahead! How did these enemies know our heroes location?


Shade

Part 6: Followed

That night after cleaning the remains of our enemies, I slept, but I was moved to the room with the boys. I really had mistaken my strength, I remembered Master Soichiro telling me that the Raikiri technique can kill the user after unleashing three, luckily I lived but my energy did not call to me. I had really injured my body.

Master Kengen slept in the bed I had slept in when I had first arrived, the bed with the mysterious door by its side. The snoring of the three was loud but it kept unwanted things away. All three slept like pigs with mattresses and pillows slaughtered around. Again I heard my master creep out, I was about to follow just when he entered our room and gently placed his hand on my forehead and whispered, "I know you can hear me, there is no need to follow, take care of the boys; I will return tomorrow morning." Just then he walked out and into the quiet darkness he fled. No one knows where he went or why he did, but he will return by morning.

Morning arose fast but apparently not silent. Kishi had argued with Taka shouting about some piece of meat that Tori had cooked for everyone; dishes banged, shouts cried, and stomping rumbled. I arose half-naked staring at the three monkeys, tiredly. When I stepped out and stared at them they had quickly stopped and looked up as if I was their teacher.

"Hey Jamie, where's Master Soichiro?" Tori asked.

"I don't know, didn't you guys look outside."

"I did but he's nowhere to be found."

"He'll be back. Believe it! Master Soichiro will never lose too anyone!"

Enjoying our breakfast, Kishi and Taka had begun arguing again about the missing pork chop and complaining that because one of them had taken it we only have plain rice for breakfast. To Tori and I, it didn't matter much, we gobbled our food and left the two to their own battle.

"So Jamie how was your battle yesterday? You still injured?" Tori asked.

"I'm fine, thanks though, Tori."

"Who was your opponent? How was he like?"

"A boy about your age; able to create ice mirrors and toss needles at his opponents. He was quite powerful actually, I almost lost, had he gotten me but it seem he didn't. I struck through him although he was still able to move. Actually Tori, I shouldn't say that, he was kind of like a friend to me. Sure we fought to the brink of death but in the end I was the one that killed him. I was aiming for his leader when he instantly jumped in and took the damage. Funny how he told me to kill him before he does something that I might regret and I told him that he should live and enjoy his life. I certainly hoped that he wouldn't have jumped into our battle."

"Your strong Jamie, it's your fear and innocence that weakens you. Listen to me Jamie, I have a feeling that more will return and when they do, I won't be able to destroy all of them so if the enemies ever use me as bait or something else, I want you to put everything aside and forget that I'm there. I can't allow others to slow down because of me."

"Hey Master Soichiro's back!"

"Greetings my boys, I'm sorry about my disappearance, I had to go check around for any enemy hideouts nearby, luckily there weren't any. Forget about that, we do not have time to chit-chat. We have to find a better and safer shelter immediately."

"What? But master you can't abandon your temple and besides we were able to kick our enemies butts, if they show up again we'll kick them back out. Won't we guys?" Kishi explained.

"Funny how you should say that weren't you the one that was crying in forest when your opponent was trying to cut off your legs." Taka told.

"Hey shut up! He was tough ok but give me one month Taka and I'll surpass all of you."

"Enough we have to leave now! If any of you do not wish to follow, you can stay as for the rest of us we leave as soon as possible. We pace quickly and quietly so carry what is important and leave whatever is not useful. Hurry!"

The sun was high, resting in the sky, a perfect day to take walk but instead it was a race with time. My bags were packed and so was Master Soichiro's. Both of us waited outside with patience. Shouting and laughing of the boys had beaten nature's voice. Before soon, Kishi's voice blurted out, "We're ready to leave! Believe it!"

Not knowing where we were going, I stayed behind while the Master Kengen led the way, with the scholars trapped in between. We jumped from branch to branch and tree to tree, leaves rustled and branches snapped. Leaving many leftover tracks, before soon I knew an enemy would appear by us. We traveled long with no stop and the sun began to sink. Soon a shroud would cover us and we would have to search our way through. Not so long, a mysterious sense appeared from behind me, two it felt. It seems they were already waiting for us.

"Master Soichiro!" Taka shouted.

"He knows, Taka. We all do." Tori told.

"Speed up the pace! Jamie watch your rear!" Master Soichiro informed. _Wrssh! Wrssh!_

"Jamie, look out behind you!" Tori directed as a green tail blasted from within the leaves and forced Jamie to the ground.

"Tori lead them away from here, now!"

"Where should we go?"

"Get out of here!"

"Do you really think they'll be safe?" Another strange being asked teleporting in front of Master Soichiro.

"What are you?" Master Soichiro questioned staring at the short alien-like creature.

"Death Beam!" The creature screamed sending Master Soichiro downwards the trees.

"No time to look away kid." Another creature informed flying towards Jamie.

The two odd creatures had appeared from the distant trees and strike Master Soichiro and I. They both appeared as if they had been waiting for us, as if it was a trap. Were they really setting a trap? They hid in brown rags above the trees and did not have the appearances of human beings. One was a short white creature with a tail longer than its body. The other enemy was green with black spots and also had a tail that was able to stretch in and out with a needle at the end. Both enemies were strong and fast, their abilities were something I had never seen.

The rumble was fast, flashes flew everywhere and trees smashed the ground hard. We jumped from tree to ground escaping from their flash bombs. Looking for an opening we too shot back our techniques but all were failed to notice. We bounced and skipped around the dome, but our foes easily flew above the sky, grinning upon us as if it was a game and were surpassing the level.

"Jamie, cover me!" Master Soichiro told me as he stopped and faced the adversaries. "Ka-Me-Ha-Me-Haa!"

"Look out, Seru!" The white alien warned. _BOOM!_

The blast had passed and eliminated all the enemies' incoming missiles. They split and gathered together again, as so did my master and me. Peering up, the humanoids smirk with joy and chuckled with delight.

"Master, let's do it again." Jamie declared. "Ka-Me!"

"Right, Ha-Me-Haa!" Master Soichiro blasted with two blue waves forwarded to our enemies.

"Look at that, Furiza."

"Here it comes, Seru." The extraterrestrial uttered as they both vanished into thin air.

"Look to your left, Jamie." Master Soichiro cautioned controlling his ray to the left towards his enemy.

"I suppose I'll shoot that back at you, Ka-Me-Ha-Me-Haa!" The green foreign shouted surprisingly Jamie with the same counter attack.

"Impossible! Jamie dodge it, if those two hit, they'll explode."

"Hey old fool, look this way! Energy Disk!" The midget grunted. "With this technique, I'll just slice your technique in half."

The disk had come in contact with Master Soichiro's wave and divided into two. Still flying in the air, the disk headed towards him. Master Soichiro backed away until he was close enough to me, "Cancel the technique now!" He demanded, "Energy Shield!" The incoming floppy had hit and forced itself to cut open the protecting shield that warped around my master and me, on the other hand the colliding rays smashed and shot out an extraordinary shiny light along with a enormous blow of razor wind cutting through our guard. The pressure that stroked our screen only made it harder for Master Kengen to sustain the energy he had gathered to grasp the shield. Knowing that our safeguard was failing and my master griping it with pain, I decided to step in.

"We're not going to defeat these guys, let go of the shield. I don't know if this is going to help much but it'll protect us. Let go now! Mokuten: Moku Joheki (Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall)." Jamie casted as a shield of wood locked them.

"Useless, Seru let's finish this!"

"I suppose." The enemy decided discharging a flare of light.

Everything sparkled outside of the cocoon, unluckily our shield had cracked and we were severely damage. Our screams of pain were silenced and our motion happened so fast that we felt as if we weren't even moving. So loud that the cracking of branches, roaring of tree roots, whipping of grass, and pressure of winds were terrified and before I knew, I was lost in the dimness of the world, nothing bothered me. I had been defeated by my opponents.


End file.
